NAB Morning Call

Friday 29th April 2022The US delivered a sharp fall in GDP in the first quarter. It wasn’t expected and could naturally spark fears that recession could be coming to the US sooner rather than later. But NAB’s Tapas Strickland says ‘beneath the hood’ the numbers showed that the US economy was still performing relatively well, with the numbers dragged down by a larger negative trade balance and lower inventories. As a result, equities continued to push higher, along with the US dollar. Inflation fears are rising in Europe though, with a higher-than-expected CPI read for Germany. These concerns pushed front-end yields higher and forced the Riksbank to unexpectedly lift their rates.

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Thursday 28th April 2022Australian inflation rose more than expected yesterday. NAB’s Ivan Colhoun said it didn’t come as a complete surprise. NAB’s Business Survey has been showing rising input costs, and its likely inflation will rise till further in the next quarter. All that points to a high likelihood that the RBA will lift interest rates next week. Elsewhere, markets have had a temporary does of optimism, although NAB’s Rodrigo Catril says a resolution has to be found for Europe’s energy problems. There just aren’t enough global supplies to completely cut out Russia. US GDP and German CPI are two significant data releases today, along with the business activity outlook for New Zealand.

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Wednesday 27th April 2022Big market moves today, with US shares plummeting, bond yields also falling, and commodity prices rising sharply. European gas prices shot up on the news that Russia intends to turn off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria almost immediately, for not paying in Roubles. Whilst Europe debates whether they should ban buying Russian gas, perhaps the decision will be made for them. NAB’s Ray Attrill says recession fears on a global scale are also impacting sentiment, particularly as the war in Ukraine is clearly with us for some time, and China’s lockdown fears. Today, Australia’s CPI will be the numbers to watch. Could they rise enough to drive the RBA to a rise as soon as next week?

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Tuesday 26th April 2022There’s been a strong risk-off sentiment to the start of the week. NAB’s Taylor Nugent says equity investors belatedly “got the memo” on the Fed’s front-end loading for rate rises. Fears of more lockdowns in China, including Beijing, have added to the uncertainty, even though the fatality rates are low in comparison to many opened-up western nations. It seems China’s zero-COVID focus and the ongoing impacts of the Ukraine war are two issues that won’t slip away anytime soon. US GDP and Australian CPI will be two of the main focuses data-wise this week.

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Friday 22nd April 2022Markets are a little easier to understand today. Bond yields are back on the rise, given inflation expectations and more hawkish rhetoric from central banks. That’s hit equities. NAB’s Ken Crompton agrees that it’s a more text-book response to what we have been seeing, with equities and yields rising in tandem. There have been particularly strong moves for front end yields of European bonds, with some members giving a more hawkish timetable for rate rises. Today PMIs will be closely scrutinised to get a flavour of growth and conditions across Europe, the UK and USA.

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Thursday 21st April 2022Bond yields have fallen sharply overnight, but that doesn’t mean inflation expectations are going away, or does it? NAB’s Taylor Nugent says the Fed’s Beige Book, out overnight, highlights some examples of how inflation might be nearing its peak, but there are plenty to suggest otherwise. For example, Canada’s CPI and German PPIs, two sets of numbers showing prices are still rising, at quite a rate. NZ CPI numbers are out soon. Also today, a short-term reprieve for the Yen, whilst the Yuan falls to a six-month low. The Zero COVID approach had an impact on Japan’s export numbers, and will add to global inflation worries. And what about their attitude towards Russia? If you want a healthy dose of geopolitics, the French Presidential debate is also on today, ahead of the weekend election, and it’s close.

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Wednesday 20th April 2022It’s not something that will continue for long, but US bind yields have risen sharply today, and so have equities. Which one will give in first? Equities have risen because of strong earnings results but, as NAB’s Ray Attrill observes in today’s podcast, there’s still a long way to go. Bond yields are rising as Fed speakers up the ante on the path of interest rates, with one even raising the prospect of a 75-basis point rise at the next meeting. Meanwhile, oil is down sharply today, with the IMF downgrading global growth forecasts, except in Australia. There’s also discussion on the RBA minutes and the fall in the Japanese Yen.

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Tuesday 19th April 2022There’s a fundamental difference in the approach of the ECB and the Fed, as NAB’s Tapas Strickland explains on today’s podcast. Whereas the Fed is focused on inflation, the ECB is also concerning itself with growth. Could we see rising prices curtail that growth faster than anticipated? What about rising rates. The IMF has warned that rising rates will drive deleveraging that will have a marked impact on GDP growth. We also look at lockdowns in China and whether the rising bond yields in the US will offset any positive news to come from earnings results this week.

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Thursday 14th April 2022Despite 50 basis point hikes by the Bank of Canada and the RBNZ over the last 24 hours, bond yields haven’t moved a great deal. NAB’s Gavin Friend says the market has taken a bit of a breather, which has offered a reprieve for stocks, with the NASDAQ climbing 2 percent at close. The path is certain for Canada and New Zealand, but it’s a less clear direction for the ECB, which meets tonight, with no moves expected as Europe struggles with rising energy prices and the impact of Russian sanctions. Similarly, the UK has just reported the highest CPI read in 30 years and it will only get worse, but the cost-of-living squeeze is making it hard for the Bank of England to look at big moves in a hurry. Today’s employment numbers for Australia will be keenly watched by the RBA, who will be looking at prospects for wage rises driven by an even tighter labour market.

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Wednesday 13th April 2022US inflation rose as expected, but there’s still been a reaction in the bond markets. NAB’s Taylor Nugent says investors latched onto the core CPI read coming in slightly softer than expected or feared. The subtly of the change wasn’t picked up by equity markets which fell, pushed lower by rising oil prices and the realisation that inflation is still here and could get worse. The NAB Business Survey yesterday demonstrated how Australia isn’t exempt, as Ivan Colhoun explains on today’; s podcast. Later on, two central banks who might well lift rates by 50 basis points – the RBNZ and the Bank of Canada.

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